The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1887-06-29
A DOMESTIC PROBLEM.
BY LUCY RANDALL COMFORT.

ga womans education is a mistake
from beginning to end, said Roxy Ste
phens, in sudden outburst of despair.
'Yes, it is. Here have l been going to
school all my life, and 1 don't know any
thing. There never could have been"
Roxy deliberately added, "even in the
Dark Ages, such an ignoramus as l am.
don't even know how to feed the chick
ems properly" as a downy colony of little
''Dominiques" scattered this way and
that before the mass of scalded meal
which Roxy had flung too abruptly into
their midst, while the mother hen, sound
ing trumpet-note of shrill alarm, scut-
tied back against the picket-fence, with
tapping wings and feathers all a-bristle.
Roxy had been seventeen years old
when she came to live with her aunt Sally
Stephens on the Redbrook Farm. She
was bright-haired. resh-complcxioned
girl, with shady blue eyes, emphasized
by perfectly arched brows thought
heavier than falls to the usual lot of wo-
mankind. In a certain fashion her mind
corresponded to her eyebrows. There
was quaint vein of originality pervading
it. Her nature was strongly outlined too,
and in the fulness of her youth and vital
ity she had once believed that she was
born to conquer fate.
Roxanna Stephens was city-bred girl,
the daughter of Miss Sally's oldest brother,
who had died Unexpectedly, leaving a
motherless girl totally unprovided for.
Miss Sally herself, a complaining little
woman, with face full of fine wrinkles,
like China Grape, and blue eyes hidden
behind misty spectacles, accepted the
trust, as she had accepted all other in
conveniences of her life, Imply and with
out protest. She had never had any
strong emotions one way or the other. If
she had any active pleasure, it was in
gathering the humble herbs and simples
of her native fields and drying them in
preparation for the aches and pains that
beset her poor humanity.
And to this little old brown woman in
a little old brown farmhouse came
Roxanna, the young princess who had set
forth to conquer the world.
''I'm desput glad you've come, Rox-
anna," said Miss Stephens, shifting at a
bunch of wilted penny-royal. 81 amt
able to keep on dom as hev been doin'
Somehow its borne in upon me that
Providence has sent you. Pve worked
powerful hard all my life, and now I'll
jest rest spell, and let you keep house for
me hain't no doubt at ali but what
We'll get along together first-rate, you
and me-"
Roxy looked with solemn eyes at her
aunt. Evidently the old lady had faith
as a grain of mustard-seed, and there was
romathinu cOutou;Oro IN or avop,,,Ia
''It must be very easy to keep house, ;
said Roxy, fresh from the classroom and
recitation hall. So the household helm
was delivered into her hands, and then
not till then-she realized the fact of her
exceeding ignorance.
Not for worlds, however, would she
have confessed her inability to rule the
domestic menage. Aunt Sally had a
profound contempt for "book -larnin, {"
and did not hesitate to assert rour dly
that "ef brother Simon had took her ad-
vice he would hev brung up Roxanner in
quite different way" aud the girl had
a certain silent pride in vindicating her
fathers judgment So, by the help of a
dog's-eared cookery book which she
found in the garret, she learned some of
the simple secrets of the cuisine and her
own neat nature taught her the mysteries
of sweeping and scrubbing; while old
Hinda, a Jet black negress, with a soft
appealing voice like flute, who per-
vaded the neghborhood, came twice in
the month to wash and iron for the little
household.
And ROxy's spirits rose with her good
luck.
"Tm getting to be a house-keeper, -
said she, cheerily, to herself. "ThOse
fried fish this morning tasted quite good,
and the wild plums that l preserved
yesterday are certainly going to be a sue
cess
But if it is always darkest just before
daylight, it is also sometimes brightest
before an unexpected thunder-cloud.
And one day old Kinda bethought her
self to feel i'll of a Monday morning OF
rheumatic fever
Roxy went to carry her a little pail OF
milk and stone crock Of the wild plums,
for Hinda had child-like fondness fol
sweets.
"Hinda," she faltered, "can't You
wash for me this week? DO try-thcre's
3 good Hinda."
/ 4 ALS SAN 'SAAi''iA w 49, iANA'NAA sbNAa'
on her uneasy couch wringing her hands,
and rolling up the ycllow-white of hel
eyeballs in piteous fashion.
"Not dis var week, honey she an
swered, plaintively; mot for de Queer
an all de royal chilluns. No; nor mex
week, neider. Dom knows I'll ebel
wash agin, honey" with mournfu
croak in her voice.
"But, Hinda, somebody must wash
Can't II"
1T amt no work for a young lady
Miss Roxy" ," said Hinda, derisiyely.
"Eyerythingis work for a young lady,
pleaded Roxy, "if it has got to be done
Hinda shook her head "Yo'll breal
yo' back, honey, AN parboil yo' hands
an"
"Oh, l don't mind all that, Hinda, i
only Aunt would think the clothes looked
decent, - urged Roxy. "Tell me how L
: do II, Hinda--thsre's a darling"